1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game device and a game system for playing a game by placing desired number of game media (for example, game chips or game cards) that are assigned with predetermined identification information at any of a plurality of laying positions (for example, betting positions) disposed on a game table, and particularly to a technology for identifying the game media placed at the laying positions.
2. Description of Related Art
To play a game at a gaming house such as casino, a player exchanges a predetermined currency for game media such as game chips or game cards. After playing a game such as roulette or card game by using the game chips or the like, the player exchanges the game chips or the like obtained through the game for the predetermined currency.
In the case of roulette, for example, each player is provided with game chips of a distinct color so that the players can be identified when they place bets. The game chips are provided with (by indentation for example) particular numerical figures or markings that indicate the values (for example, 1, 5, 10, 100 cents, etc.) which the game chips represent, so that a dealer can easily distinguish their values. Upon completion of each game, each player receives a quantity of game chips according to the value of the game chips betted and the odds assigned to the betted position, then the game goes on. The players are entitled to exchange the game chips received during the game for currency at any time.
Recently in games as described above, systems have been introduced that employ game chips having IC tags each containing a unique identification code and a value code indicating the values of the game chip embedded therein, so as to smoothly carry out the game while checking the identification codes, etc.
In a table game such as roulette, a plurality of laying positions (for example, betting positions where game chips are placed) are disposed adjoining each other on a game table, and therefore each laying position (betting position) may have a very small area. This results in such a problem as, when many players participate in a game at the same time, the game chips placed at a betting position by the players are disposed too close to adjacent betting positions.
In order to correctly recognize the state of disposal of the game chips placed by the players at the laying positions without disturbing the progression of the game, various measures have been taken by making use of IC tags embedded in the game chips.
For example, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2004-105321 and Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2004-102953 disclose such a constitution of table-shaped game device that has antenna for radiating electromagnetic wave in X direction (for example, the direction along the longer side) of the game table and antenna for radiating electromagnetic wave in Y direction (for example, the direction along the shorter side), so as to read the information of the IC tag embedded in the game chip. In such a game device, the electromagnetic waves radiated in X direction and Y direction generate a flux wave in an upward vertical direction on the table surface of the game device at the cross point where the electromagnetic waves in both directions cross each other. Thus the state of the game chips being placed is detected by reading the information of the IC tag embedded in game chips placed on the cross point. In this case, each cross point is located to correspond to each betting position where the player places the game chips.